


Afraid Of A Kiss

by 1dasfudge



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: 1967, Fluff and Angst, LSD, M/M, Mentions of drugs, References to Shakespeare, Shakespeare Quotations, Shakespearean Sonnets, and one non shakespeare related poem, depends on you if its a happy ending or not lol, please read lol its cute, some mcharrison, some mclennon, to be specific
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:55:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23546491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1dasfudge/pseuds/1dasfudge
Summary: George, high on LSD, recites Shakespearean sonnets to Paul.
Relationships: George Harrison/Paul McCartney, John Lennon/Paul McCartney
Comments: 16
Kudos: 50





	Afraid Of A Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Read me!  
> Here are some translations to the poems and passages George recites:
> 
> Balcony scene:  
> Although you bring me joy, I can’t take joy in this exchange of promises tonight. It’s too crazy. We haven’t done enough thinking. It’s too sudden. It’s too much like lightning, which flashes and then disappears before you can say, “it’s lightning.” My sweet, good night. Our love, which right now is like a flower bud in the summer air, may turn out to be a beautiful flower by the next time we meet.
> 
> Car/Home scene:  
> Goodbye! You’re too valuable for me to hold onto, and you probably know exactly what you’re worth. Your high value gives you the right to leave me; you have severed the ties that bind me to you. For what hold do I have over you except the hold that you choose to give me, and how do I deserve such a treasure? There’s nothing in me to justify such a beautiful gift, so my right to possess you is reverting back to you. When you gave yourself to me, you didn’t know your own worth, or else you were mistaken about me, the person you gave yourself to. So the great gift you gave me, being based on a false estimate, goes back to you now that you’re able to make a better judgment. Thus, the time in which I had you was like a flattering dream; while I was asleep, I thought I was a king, but when I woke up, I found that was not the case.
> 
> The last poem is pretty self explanatory. Anyway, I hope you all are safe and staying inside. We're all in this together. Enjoy! :)

The boys haven’t been out together in a while. Since they stopped touring they started to diverge a bit. It’s not a bad thing, it just happens. They all got invited to this party, why not go together, like the old days. They pulled up in a huge mansion different colored lights blinked as they walked into the bizarre, colorful gathering. They said their hellos and mingled and as the night went on they had multitudes of fun dancing.

“I haven’t eaten since I got here!” George shouted as he squeezed past others to get to the table packed with an assortment of foods. A throwback song began to play, the beloved ‘Mashed Potato Time’.

Paul attempted to do the dance but it fizzled. “How’d it go again?”

“You put your heels in then you sorta…” Ringo demonstrated the dance.

“That’s not how you do it! Watch and learn!” Then John did the dance and the others followed suit. It’s not as smooth as they used to do it but they got it down.

“George you’re missing it!” Paul called. He turned to see George still over by the food table, he had his back turned just standing there. Paul walked over, more like hopped over, avoiding stepping on shoes. He turned George around. George had a blank expression on his face holding a plastic cup of punch.

“Are you okay, Geo?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Oh well, you’re missing the dance.”

“I don’t feel like dancing.”

“But you were just dancing with us a minute ago.”

“I need to sit.” George walked past Paul and disappeared into the crowd. Paul returned to the dance floor.

“What’s up with him?” John asked.

“I don’t know, he said he didn’t feel like dancing, then he went to sit somewhere.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“Maybe I should look for him.” Paul looked back. 

“Noooo, you’re staying with me. Rings, you wanna check on George?”

“Already on it.” Ringo left following the same way George left.

“Now,” John smiled reassuringly. “Dance with me?”

Paul gave in but as minutes slipped by with no Ringo or George he grew more worried. Suddenly people were shouting from the outside. A gathered crowd exited the dance floor to see what happened. John and Paul followed, hand in hand so they wouldn't get lost. They met Ringo outside, he was looking up. George was on the balcony sitting on a beam, swinging his feet looking down.

“I had him for like two seconds, I turned around and poof! He’s up there and won’t come down. He’s been asking for you but I can’t just leave him up there!” Ringo explained.

George looked at Paul and John. He scoffed. “Now you come back? And you brought John, as expected.”

“George get down!” Ringo called.

“ _ Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight!” _

“What are you talking about?!” John shouted.

“ _ It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, too like the lightning, which doth cease to be… _ ”

“George you’re daft! Get the fuck down!” John shouted again.

“ _ Ere one can say ‘It lightens.’ Sweet, good night. This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath! _ ” George carefully stands completely up balancing on the beam below him. He smiles down at Paul as spectators shout, begging him to come down and not jump. Paul shouted louder than all of them combined.

“Stop okay?! Can you stop? Please George, come down and see me I’m worried! Please!” Paul frantically yelled.

George’s smile fell. “ _...May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet... _ ” He lowered himself down, ready to meet the cops behind him.

They’ve been informed that the punch George drank was laced with LSD and that’s why he’s been acting like that. They were offered to stay but they declined and needed to take George home. Ringo drove, John was in the front seat and Paul was in the back seat with George.

John groaned. “You scared the shit outta us do you know that? You could’ve died!”

“I wanted to show you I cared.” George said sarcastically.

John turned around to face George. “You’re not making any sense! This and that whole Shakespearean spiel-”

“You don’t get it!” 

“John give it a rest.” Ringo said tiredly. John huffed and faced forward again. Paul gets it, that’s why he was so quiet in the backseat. Act 2 scene 2 read by two schoolboys who had a little crush on each other long ago. They shared a kiss while reading the scene and never spoke of it again. Paul didn’t know it would circle back like this. John agreed to crash at Ringo’s. John kissed Paul goodnight and Paul took over driving. George layed down and stretched. He looks at Paul. 

“ _ Farewell! Thou art too dear for my possessing, and like enough thou know’st thy estimate, the charter of thy worth gives thee releasing; my bonds in thee are all determinate. For how do I hold thee but by thy granting? _ ”

“George…” Paul sighed sadly. “You’re high, let’s call it a night, yeah?”

“ _ And for that riches where is my deserving? The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting, and so my patent back again is swerving. Thy self thou gavest, thy own worth then not knowing, or me to whom thou gav’st it else mistaking; so thy great gift, upon misprision growing… _ ”

Paul continued to drive, ignoring George even though it hurts too much. They pulled up to Paul’s home and Paul helped George out of the car. George clung onto Paul tight as they stepped up the steps and got inside.

“Don’t be loud, Martha’s sleeping.” Paul lowered George on to the couch and got him water.

George sets the water down and looks up at Paul. “ _...Comes home again, on better judgement making. Thus have I had thee, as a dream doth flatter, in sleep a king, but waking no such matter. _ ”

Paul crouches down, he grabs George’s head with both of his hands and looks into George’s dilated eyes. “What happened happened long ago. I love you George but I don’t feel the same way, I don’t know how else to put it, I’m sorry. I can’t be with you…” Paul quickly hugs George. “I don’t know if you can hear me but can you please speak to me like a normal human?”

They pull away inches away from each other. George gulped. “ _ He’s promised to me, fortuitously… but the difficulty for a lover, poor he, with his darling to be… _ ” He went in closer looking at Paul’s lips.

Paul smiled slightly. “ _ I’m afraid of a kiss, like the kiss of a bee, I suffer like this, and wake endlessly… _ ”

“ _ I’m afraid of a kiss… _ ” George finished and kissed Paul. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that poems of Shakespeare would never be. His hand rested below Paul’s ear, his thumb caressing his cheek as their breaths mingled. Paul ran his fingers down George’s spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them and he could feel the beating of George’s heart against his chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it? :)


End file.
